Oil composition



atented g- 3 UITED ALBERT A. SOMERVILLE, 0F FLUSHING,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO B. '1. VANDERBILT COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK.

no nrm'i This invention relates to improvements in petroleum oil compositions. More particularly, the invention includes improved petroleum oil compositions for use at high temperatures or for use under air pressure, and having improved stability when so used. The new petroleum oil compositions are particularly valuable for use for lubrieating purposes at high temperatures, as in internal combustion engines, and also for use in transformers or oil switches or for other electrical purposes.

When mineral oil lubricants are used in internal combustion engines, the high temperature to which the oils are subjected results in more or less rapid deterioration with loss of lubricating properties, particularly where air comes in contact with the oils at the same time that they are subjected to heat and the oils undergo more or less decomposition, with the attendant formation of carbon or sludge-like ingredients. So also when lubricating oils are used under air pressures as in air compressors, a great deal of trouble is often experienced due to the lubricating oil um-. ming after a few days use. imilarly, when hydrocarbon oils are used in transformers or for cable impregnation, where the oil is subjected to an elevated temperature for prolonged periods of time, it undergoes or tends to undergo deterioration, particularly in its electrical properties, so that the oil would have to be removed and replaced at more or less frequent intervals, e. g., in transformers or in the saturating bath used for impregnating the wrappings of cables.

The present invention provides an improved oil composition which can be used for prolonged periods of time as compared with ordinary oil compositions, and which is stabilized so that it will resist deteriora-. tion during use at high temperatures. The 1},

improved oil compositions can also be used at lower temperatures where they are subjected during use to oxidation, with resulting tendency toward deterioration, as where on. comrosrrron.

Application filed April 20, 1926. Serial No. 103,374.

spbjected to air pressure in air compressors, e c.

According to the present invention, the lubricating oil or transformer oil or cable impregnating oil or grease, etc. has compounded therewith a small amount of a condensation product of an aldehyde with a nltrogenous base, which condensation product serves as a stabilizing agent to retard or prevent deterioration at high temperatures or under oxidizing conditions at lower temperature.

In the case of lubricating oil compositions, the lubricating oil may be the same as or similar to lubricating oils now commonly used at high temperatures, such as in gas engines and internal combustion engines, or such as are used at lower temperatures under air pressure as in air compressors. The oils may vary from light lubricating oils to heavier lubricating oils. In general, these oils are hydrocarbon oils, although they may have small amounts of vegetable or animal oils compounded therewith.

In the case of transformer oils or cable saturating oils or greases, the oil or grease may be of the kind commonly used for such purposes with the stabilizing agent added thereto.

The stabilizing materials, which are added in small amounts to the oils or oil compositions, are condensation products of aldehydes or substituted aldehydes with nitrogenous bases such as ammonia and amines. In general. the compounds added should be non-volatile at the temperature at which the lubricating oil is to be used, and should also be stable in the sense that they are not decomposed into volatile or objectionable compounds at the temperature of stise. The material should also be soluble in ;:the oil to such an extent that it will form a a, homogeneous admixture therewith.

The stabilizing ingredients or ingredient 'gmay be added directly to the oil, if readily {soluble therein, or the dissolving of the stabilizing material may be promoted by heating, or the material may be first dissolved in a solvent such as benzol, and the benzol solution then added to the oil, with subsequent heating of the composition to drive off the benzol.

The amount of the stabilizing material which it is necessary to ad is small. In general. a few per cent at most will suffice, and as little of a fraction of a per cent may be sufficient, e. g., 0.5% to 1%.

The invention will be further illustrated by the following specific examples, but it is intended and will be understod that the invention is illustrated thereby {but is not limited thereto.

A lubricating oil composition such as is commonly used for the lubrication of automobile engines has added thereto a small amount, e. g., 0.5% to 1% of a condensation product of acetaldehyde with anilin, the admixture being promoted by dissolvlng the condensation product in benzol and then intimately admixing the benzol solution with the lubrication oil and subsequently distilling off the benzol. The resulting lubricating oil composition will have improved stability and resistance to decomposition at the elevated temperatures at which it is used in automobile and similar internal combustion engines.

In a similar manner, a mineral oil composition such as commonly used for 1mpregnating the paper wrapplngs of cables may have a similar amount of the same condensation product added thereto 1n a $111.11-

P lar manner. When the resulting composition is used for saturating the paper wrapping of cables, by passing the cable through the hot saturating bath. the bath will retain high insulating properties for long periods of time. In fact, the bath may be increased in its electrical resistivity over that of the original oil, being in this respect radically different from the ordinary saturating bath which rapidly deteriorates in its electrical resistivity.

In a similar manner, oils such as are used for transformers for electrical switches, etc., can be similarly treated with a small amount of the condensation product.

Instead of using the condensation product of acetaldehyde and anilin, the condensation product of aldol and alpha-naphthylamine can be similarly used, or other condensation products of aldehydes, such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, furfuraldehyde, aldol, etc., with amines, both aliphatic and aromatic, e. g.. anilin. alpha or beta naphthylamine, or with ammonia, etc. Examples of such condensation products, in addition to those above mentioned. are the condensation product of formaldehyde with anilin. the condensation product of acetaldehyde with aniline (both the acid and the neutral condensate), the condensation product of acetaldehyde with ortho or para-toluidine, etc., the condensation product of furfuraldehyde with ammonia or with anilin or orthotoluidine, etc. The condensation product of certain aldehydes and amines can be carried out both with an acid condensing agent and with aneutral or alkaline condensing agent, and the condensation product may be different in the different cases. When an acid condensing agent is used, it may be considered that the amine is used in the form of its salt, but when after the condensation the product is neutralized with caustic soda, the salt forming group will be removed. The condensation product may nevertheless in such case be different from that produced when a basic condensing agent is used. Various amines, both aromatic and aliphatic, can be used for the condensation, as well as various aldehydes as disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 80,065, filed January 8th, 1926.

The action of the condensation product as a stabilizing agent is somewhat obscure, but apparently it is due to prevention of oxidation at the elevated temperatures to which the oil compositions are subjected in use, and particularly where air or oxygen comes into contact with the oil, although the stabilizing ingredients are used only in small amounts, not usually exceeding about 2%, and in some cases being only a fraction of a per cent. Nevertheless, they impart improved stability to the oil compositions at elevated temperatures.

This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 81,950, filed J anuary 18th, 1926.

I claim:

1. An improved petroleum oil composition having combined therewith a small amount of a condensation product of an aldehyde with a nitrogenous base.

2. A lubricating oil composition comprising a mineral oil lubricant adapted for use at elevated temperatures, having combined therewith a small amount of a condensation product of an aldehyde with a nitrogenous ase.

-3. An improved petroleum oil composition having combined therewith a small amount of a condensation product of an aldehyde with an amine.

4. A lubricating oil composition comprising a mineral oil lubricant adapted for use at elevated temperatures. having combined therewith a small amount of a condensation product of an aldehyde with an amine.

5. An improved petroleum oil composition having combined therewith a small amount of a condensation product of acetaldehyde with anilin.

6v A lubricating oil composition comprising a mineral oil lubricant adapted for use at elevated temperatures, having combined g th'erewith a small amount of a condensation 8. The method of lubrication which comproduct of acetaldehyde With anilin. prises subjecting the parts to be lubricated 1 The method of lubrication which comto a stabilized hydrocarbon lubricating oil prises sub e cting the parts to be lubricated composition containing a small amount of a i to a stabilized hyroca'rbon lubricating oil condensation product of an aldehyde with composition containing a small amount of a an amine. 1 condensation product of an aldehyde with a In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. nitrogenous base. ALBERT A. SOMERVILLE.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,594,983, granted August 3, 1926, upon-the application of Albert A. Somerville, of Flushing, New York, for an improvement in Oil Compositions, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 6, for the misspelled Word ad read add; same page, lines 85 to 87, strike out the Words as disclosed in my prior application Serial No. 80,065, filed January 8th, 1926, and insert the same to follow after the Word resistivity and before the period in line 45; page 3, line 5, claim 7, 'for the misspelled Word hyrocarbon read hydrocarbon; and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 26th day of October, A. D. 1926.

[snan] WM. A. KINNAN, Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

